Ladies, 2012 is shaping up to be a pretty big year. Let's see… there's the London Olympics, Christopher Nolan's final installment in his Batman franchise, Snooki's first child entering the world, and, oh yeah, a presidential election this November. Although the general election is still five months away, the Gallup Organization has giddy-up'd and gone into full polling force by measuring public opinion on everything under the sun. This week, the polling org takes on Americans and morality (that sounds like the name of an HBO documentary, doesn't it?), looking at where they stand on issues like abortion and birth control.

The surveyed group was asked to identify their personal views on abortion, and, according to the poll, 41 percent of adults surveyed identify themselves as pro-choice (a figure that's down six points—from 47 percent in July of 2011), while fifty percent of Americans identify as pro-life. Gallup also asked the sample for their opinions on the legality of abortion. Twenty-five percent believed it should be legal under all circumstances, 52 percent believed it should be legal under certain circumstances, and 20 percent believed it should be illegal under all circumstances.

Continuing with the theme of "women's health" and "moral issues," Gallup also asked the surveyed sample for their opinions on birth control. Among the group, 89 percent believe birth control is morally acceptable. Breaking down those stats, 82 percent of Catholics support the use of birth control and 90 percent of non-Catholics are in agreement. (You can view the full report, which includes public opinion on assorted issues like the death penalty, cloning, gambling and much more, here. )

So, that's a lot of numbers, but what do people think of 'em? One very active group spoke up, naturally: Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards released the following statement:

"> *Abortion is a deeply personal and often complex decision for a woman."What this poll makes clear is that labels like pro-choice' and pro-life' simply don't reflect the complexity of how most people actually think and feel about abortion in this country. A majority of Americans still believe abortion should remain a safe and legal medical procedure for a woman to consider if and when she needs it, and these fundamental views have held steady for more than a decade. Instead of putting people in one category or another, we should respect the real-life decisions women and their families face every day.

"Gallup also included the issue of birth control in its poll for the first time this year. As women's health opponents continue their unprecedented assault on access to basic health care, this poll reiterates birth control is not a moral issue - it is simply basic health care. The fact is that birth control use is nearly universal in the U.S. — 99 percent of sexually active women use it at some point in their lives. The Affordable Care Act's birth control coverage benefit means that millions more women will have access to affordable birth control, and this important step forward needs to be maintained.*">

Interesting, right? What are your thoughts on the morality and legality of abortion and birth control? Should abortion and/or birth control be a legal issue or strictly a private—and personal—health care matter?